Foreign trade and import prices

In December 2018 seasonally-adjusted data, compared to November 2018, decreased both for outgoing flows (-2.3%) and for incoming flows (-1.0%). Exports drop for non EU countries (-5.6%) and rose for EU countries (+0.5%). Imports fell for non EU countries and remained stable for EU countries (0.0%).

Over the last three months, seasonally-adjusted data, compared to the three months earlier, showed an increase both for exports (+0.9%) and for imports (+0.6%).

In December 2018, compared with the same month of the previous year, exports decreased (-2.7%) and imports raised (+1.4%). Outgoing flows drop by 5.1 for non EU countries and by 0.3 for EU countries. Incoming flows rose by 8.1% for non EU area and declined by 2.7% for EU area. The trade balance in December amounted to +3,658 million Euros (+4,270 million Euros for non EU area and -613 million Euros for EU countries).

In December 2018 the total import prices index decreased by 1.6% compared to the previous month (the index decreased for the euro zone by 0.3 and by 3.0% for the non-euro zone); the total twelve-month rate of change increased by 3.0% (respectively increased by 1.1% for the euro zone and by 4.8% for the non-euro zone).

The quarterly total index of import prices increased by 0.1% compared to the previous period, it stayed unchanged for the non-euro zone and increased by 0.3% for the euro zone.